Yemen: Cholera deaths mounting as infections increasing

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 473 were dead due to Cholera, while infections rose to 52,000 cases in 18 Yemeni governorates.

The organization announced in a statement on Monday on its official Facebook page that the infected and registered cases during the past two days amounted to 14,000.

In a previous statement, the World Health Organization said that 7.6 million people live in areas affected by Cholera (acute watery diarrhea) and more than 33 million people are at particular risk of Cholera.

The health conditions of these populations have been exacerbated by food shortages, increased malnutrition and lack of access to adequate health services, due to the Yemeni crisis resulting from the Houthi militia-led coup.

Luay Shabana, the manager of United Nations Population Fund for the Arab Region, said on Sunday that the outbreak of the Cholera epidemic in Yemen threatens the lives of 1.1 million pregnant women who are malnourished, who need immediate care and pregnancy health services.

The prevalence of Cholera among pregnant women is a humanitarian disaster and adds further difficulties to Yemeni citizens due to displacement and malnutrition, Shabana said in a statement released by the UN Information Center. “Pregnant and lactating women who are malnourished are more likely to have Cholera and have a risk of bleeding, more exposure to complications and death during childbirth,” he added.

Shabana added, “The conflict in Yemen has severely weakened the health system and impeded access to medical services, with most health facilities being shut down and closed, with only 35 percent of pregnancy health facilities are currently operating in the country.”

“Women can play an important role in controlling the spread of Cholera if they can maintain a certain level of hygiene, especially when preparing food for the family,” Shabana said.